Field-bindweed
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Bactericera maculipennis
psyllid, jumping plant louse
Bactericera maculipennis is a psyllid species in the family Triozidae, native to western North America. It is a confirmed vector of 'Candidatus' Liberibacter solanacearum, the bacterium that causes zebra chip disease in potatoes. The species develops primarily on plants in the Convolvulaceae family, with field records documenting association with Convolvulus arvensis (field bindweed) throughout the western United States. Unlike the related potato psyllid B. cockerelli, B. maculipennis has not been documented as a direct economic threat to solanaceous crops, though it shares pathogen reservoirs with that species.